The Washington critic., 1887-03-26
TOPICS OF THE DAY.


Mrs. Stoves first book, "Mayflower;
or, Sketches Of the Descendants of the
Puritans," was not published until
1910, when she had already reached her
thirty.seventh year. Although pub.
llshed both In London and New York,
this volume met with no marked sue.
cess until after the appearance of
Uncle Toms Cabin" In 1859. The
popularity of the latter work, as all the
world knows, was phenomenal. 1t
was originally published In weekly
parts from June o. 1851, to April /,
1859, in the Nc,o Era, an anti.slavery
paper In Washington, but 1t was not
until Its appearance in book form that
1t made sensation. In eight weeks
after the appearance of the first Bos-
ton edition in two volumes, 100000
copies were sold. The first London
edition was published in May, 1852,
but 1t was not large, the publishers
doubling the popularity of pictures of
negro life in England. Before the
close of the year 1t is estimated that in
England alone as many as a million
copies had been sold. In September
1862, one London house gave au order
for 10000 copies daily, which was reg.
ularly filled for u month. The sale In
the United States reached 100000
within a year and 313, 900 in four years.
No other work of fiction ever came
near 1t In circulation. Before the close
Of the year 1862 it had been translated
into French, Italian, Spanish, Danish,
Dutch, Flemish, German, Polish and
Magyar, and subsequently Portuguese,
Welsh, Russian, Wendish, Wallachian,
Armenian, Arabic and Romaic transla.
tlons were made. Indeed, 1t is said
there were even Chinese and Japanese
versions.
In the April Century "Uncle
Remus" tells and Kemblc illustrates a
story of Southern life, whose scene is
laid at the beginning of and during the
war. One of the characters is Major
Jimmy Bass, who is apt to get excited,
and once had "cussed out the town."
The following bit gives a pen picture
Of the Majors remarkable campaigns
at Perdue's Corner: "Sometimes be-
tween dozes he would make his way to
Perdue's Corner, and discuss the vari.
GUS campaigns. How many desperate
Campaigns were fought on that cor.
ner All the older citizens, who found
1t convenient and necessary to stay at
home, had in them the instincts and
emotions of great commanders. They
knew how defeat could be wrung from
victory, and how success could be made
more overwhelming. At Pcrdues
Corner Washington City was taken
not less than dozen times a
week, and occasionally both New
York and Boston were captured and
sacked. Of all the generals who
fought their battles at the Corner,
Major Jimmy Bass was the most encr.
getic, the most daring and the most
skillful. As strategist he had no su.
perior. He had way of illustrating
the feasibility of his plans by drawing
them In the sand with his cane. Fat
as he was, the Major had way Of
'surroundering the enemy so that no
avenue was left for his escape. At
Perdues Corner he captured Scott.
and Mcclellan, and Joe Hooker, and
John Pope, and held their entire forces
as prisoners of war;"
~
On his eighty eighth birthday Gen.
eral Simon Cameron related some an.
ecdotes of the men who played big
parts In the rebellion. He said: OF all
my experiences with public men and
events none were so interesting as those
which brought the country to the set
tlement of the slavery question on the
field Of battle. There was a great deal
of by.play in the beginning that has
not been heard of yet. 1t is true that
General Robert L. Lee was rendered
the command of the Union army. 1t
was the wish of Mr.. Lincoln's admins
traiion that as many as possible Of the
Southern officers then in the regular
army should remain true to the nation
which had educated them. Robert L.
Lee and Joseph L. Johnston were then
the leading Southern soldiers. John
ston was quartermaster. general and
Lee colonel of cavalry. In the moves
and counter moves in the game OF war
and peace then going on Francis p.
Blair, ST., was prominent figure. The
tender of the command of our forces
was made to General Lee through him.
Mr.. Blair came to me expressing the
opinion that General Lee could be held
TO ouI cause by the offer of the chief
command of our forces. authorized
Mr.. Blair to make the offer. then dis.
missed the matter from my mind as
nearly as could such an important
subject, for supposed, from what Mr..
Blair had said, that General Lee would
certainly accept. labored under this
impression up to the time that his res
ignation was received. Whether Gen.
eral Lee ever seriously considered the
matter | do not personally know
From what Senator Blair said to me
never had any doubt Nt the time but
that he did. Ny surprise was very
great when the resignation was re-
ceivcd and Genera! Lee went South,